Tropical Fish Species:

Tropical fish are a group of fish that consist of both freshwater and marine species but the term Tropical fish is usually used to refer to only to the freshwater varieties.



These include a wide range of fish that are quite adept at living in aquariums like catfish, angelfish, cichlids, discus fish, and several others. Some of these species require special attention while some require no more care than regular fish do but sometimes even this can be a handful.



Understanding the care and attention that these pets need requires that you first understand a background of the species in the first place.

Bichirs are a group of reed-fish that are native to the Nile valley.



Though they are predatory fish, they can be placed in the same tank with other fish as long as their neighbors are larger than them. These fish have an interesting duality within them and that is that these fish have very primitive lungs that allow the fish to dart to the surface and gulp air in the absence of adequate dissolved oxygen in the water. Catfish are the other major group of tropical fish that are native to most tropical areas of the world. These fish are easily identifiable by the whiskers that they sport. These whiskers are a major part of the fish’s sensory mechanisms. These fish are actually not major swimmers and prefer to just rest on the bottom of the riverbed. Cichlids are a species that are particularly attractive for aquariums. The most prominent and famous members of this species is the tilapia. This is a staple part of the diet of most of the inhabitants of the Tanganikya lake in Tanzania. Most of the species are known for the level of parental care that they exercise for their broods that start from caring for their eggs to actually taking care of the young by gulping them into their mouths when there is a predator around. The main claim to fame of these fish is how attractive these fish are and how much they add to the aesthetics of an aquarium.

While there are many more species of freshwater fish that are favorites among aquarium enthusiasts, tropical fish require a lot of care to ensure that their natural habitats are maintained to the maximum. It is also important to understand that these fish are susceptible to disease when taken out of their natural environments.